Avdija Calls Out Disrespect After Game 4 Dust-Up as Blazers Face Elimination
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Tempers flared late in Game 4 between Portland and San Antonio when Spurs rookie guard Stephon Castle converted an and-one layup and handed the ball to Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, triggering a brief shoving match. Castle later brushed off the encounter as standard competitive fire, but Avdija characterized it as crossing a line of “disrespect.”
“You can be tough, you can be physical, but there’s a level of disrespect I’m not going to accept,” the Israeli-born forward said after the game. “Next game, I expect to wear two mouth guards.”
Blazers on the Brink
Consecutive second-half collapses in Games 3 and 4 have left Portland one loss away from postseason elimination. Head coach Tiago Splitter insisted the series is not over. “We’re still alive, and we’re going to fight,” he told reporters, calling his roster “a special group.”
Possible Lineup Change
With Portland struggling to protect leads, Splitter is weighing a shake-up to his starting unit. Backup center Robert Williams III, described as the team’s second-best performer through four games, could replace sophomore big man Donovan Clingan, who has had trouble both against Victor Wembanyama and during the Spurs star’s bench minutes. Splitter said only that “we’ve got to see all the options.”
Moda Center Renovation Funding
Off the court, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed Senate Bill 1501, authorizing up to $365 million in state funding for planned upgrades to the Moda Center. The proposal now moves to the Portland City Council for final consideration. “The state has done its part and we’re not done,” Kotek said, pledging continued oversight of the project.
Source: Hoops Rumors
